ILGA » ILGA Asia » Bullying targeting secondary school students who are or are perceived to be transgender or same-sex attracted: Types, prevalence, impact, motivation and preventive measures in 5 provinces of Thailand

Bullying targeting secondary school students who are or are perceived to be transgender or same-sex attracted: Types, prevalence, impact, motivation and preventive measures in 5 provinces of Thailand

Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) tend to be disproportionately bullied in schools. In many Western and Asian countries, more than half of LGBT students report having been bullied because of their sexual preference. Thailand is often perceived as very accepting of sexual diversity, but in fact LGBT people are usually only tolerated, not accepted.

The study carried out in partnership with UNESCO by Mahidol university evaluates the issue in the Thai context.

The study found that some 55.7% of LGBT students reported having been bullied because they were LGBT. Nearly one-third (30.9%) experienced physical abuse, 29.3% reported verbal abuse, 36.2% stated social abuse, and 24.4% reported being victims of sexual harassment because they were LGBT.